


Look to the Future

by Sporadic_Writer



Category: Seven Days (2015), Seven Days (Manga)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 03:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10630986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sporadic_Writer/pseuds/Sporadic_Writer
Summary: For seven days, Yuzuru's focus had definitely not been on studying for the college entrance exams.  But that week was over, and Seryou had agreed they were dating, so now Yuzuru had to get back to planning his future.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This story takes place a few weeks after the end of the manga. I wrote this story with the intention of exploring the difficulty teenagers face as they think about their futures (romantic, academic, and otherwise) beyond high school. Thanks to various websites, I learned a lot about the life of a high school senior in Japan, and the manga/movie confuses me because Yuzuru acts like he has way too much free time, so I tried to reconcile the manga events with the information I found.
> 
> Important Facts/Details:
> 
> 1) Keep in mind that the Japanese high school year has a different schedule from the American one (and maybe others).  
> 2) To get into a good university, high school seniors have to take two rounds of entrance exams, and the period of preparing for the exams by studying (at home or at a tutoring center or at a “cram school”) is regarded as pretty hellish.  
> 3) KitKat bars, the Beckoning (lucky) cat, wishes written at a Shinto Shrine, and koi fish are all symbols of good luck.  
> 4) Yuzuru is older than Seryou by two years, so Seryou has two more years of college when Yuzuru has graduated college.  
> 5) Based on the movie, the characters live in Yokohama. Tokyo is roughly half an hour from Yokohama, and Maebashi is close to two hours from Yokohama.

 

Everything changes once they hit their senior year. Yuzuru knew that from watching his older sister and seeing how her throaty laughs and red cheeks after each date night gradually grew into reddened eyes and congested breaths.

Sitting on the stairs late at night, he listened while his mother commiserated with his sister, trying to soothe her daughter's heartbreak.

“That is life,” their mother said simply. “As you grow, you'll have to make more and more decisions on what you value.”

“So, Hiro-kun doesn't value me, you mean,” Megumi had said bitterly, tears and snot clogging her voice.

Their mother sighed as she brushed a loving hand through Megumi's hair. “I'm telling you that not all things last, and you'll often have to make a choice that means a better future, even if it will give you an unhappy present.”

Even though the advice wasn't meant for him, Yuzuru kept it in mind anyway, and every so often, as his class entered their last year of high school, those words would drift through his mind as though carried on the wind.

 

_First Term: June_

“I guess it'll be time to say goodbye soon,” Koike-chan said one day during lunch, picking her way through her noodle dish with a pensive look.

Utsumi nodded. “Yeah, it is our senior year. Before we know it, we'll be going through the depths of Examination Hell.”

“That's true, but I meant that after it's all over, we'll be attending our separate universities. Some of us will be going to the same ones, but it sounds like this year's class has a lot more variety than the other years,” Koike-chan said thoughtfully.

“Most people are going to universities in the neighboring prefectures,” Yuzuru pointed out after taking a loud slurp of his Calpico. “You're the weirdo who wants to travel farther out.”

Koike-chan rolled her eyes and threw a balled up napkin at him. “And you're the no-good listener who didn't pay attention when I explained that my uncle and his wife are willing to put me up. Housing isn't cheap; you should keep that in mind too. I was already lucky to get into a good high school so close to home.”

“And where do you plan to go, Seryou-kun?” Utsumi turned to Seryou, politely trying to draw the unfamiliar first year into the conversation.

Seryou smiled with downcast eyes that flicked up to look at Yuzuru, and it was mostly to him that Seryou spoke. “I'm not certain. I do have another two years to think about it, but my father really wants me to attend Gunma University since he and my brother both did.”

Ah, that's right. Seryou came from the kind of family that could afford for their sons to attend a university like that and to pay for the tutoring and after school classes that would be needed. Not to mention, all that talk of a legacy or something wasn't what Yuzuru himself would hear around the dinner table. That just wasn't his family.

“Well, even so, good luck!” Koike-chan said kindly. “I'll say it now since we'll be graduating before you.”

“Thank you,” Seryou said, dipping his head, still a little shy after coming to meet Yuzuru for lunch and recognizing Koike-chan as a girl he had dated just last month. “I appreciate your words.”

Seryou's eyes flickered to Yuzuru. “If it's not too presumptuous, then I'd like to say good luck in return. I wish you all the best.”

 

_Summer Break: July_

“My mom's signed me up for longer sessions at the cram school, and it's for every day, including Saturdays now,” Yuzuru confessed abruptly as they walked home to the train station after visiting a fair. The light breeze kept blowing leaves around, and Yuzuru aimed his ire at a swirl of leaves that danced in a mini hurricane nearby. He licked his lips and then grimaced at the taste of dust and dirt now coating his tongue.

“I see,” Seryou replied quietly. He pulled a water bottle from his backpack and offered it to Yuzuru with a knowing smile.

Yuzuru downed a few gulps and swiped his wet mouth with the inside of a sleeve. He lifted and dropped a shoulder as he walked a little faster, urging Seryou to move more quickly in his wake. The French-inspired bakery closed early on Fridays, and Yuzuru wanted to buy a parfait cupcake to enjoy before his relaxed Friday afternoons, along with the rest of them, disappeared.

“Well, I can't blame her. Dad said it was up to her, but my grandma told her that everyone does it, and I have to do it too if I want to be competitive.” Yuzuru could see Seryou nodding along like it sounded very familiar, and of course it did, what teenager grew up without constantly hearing sermons like that once they entered high school?

“If you tell me the name of your tutoring center, I can meet you when you're done,” Seryou offered sweetly.

Yuzuru stopped in his steps and turned to face Seryou, giving him a poke in the chest. “No way. My class doesn't end until 8:00, and you need to make sure you're not getting yourself sick by staying out late, and you shouldn't be missing any more club meetings. If you're going to be in the archery club, you should show it. And anyway, you'll be preparing for universities yourself too soon enough.

“Wait,” Yuzuru interrupted his own lecture. He narrowed his eyes at Seryou as his brain made several connections and ended with a conclusion that didn't make sense. “If your dad wants you to attend Gunma University, how is it possible that you're always available to go out with me? You've never declined an invitation, and you should be up to your neck in extra classes.”

Seryou smiled even more brilliantly, and he brushed a gentle hand over Yuzuru's cheek and over his fringe, pulling away a tiny leaf that had managed to get stuck there.

Yuzuru pushed his hand aside impatiently. “Don't try to distract me.”

“I go most of the time,” Seryou said without a hint of shame.

“You're going to go all the time,” Yuzuru retorted, “if you want to date me. I'm not going to have anyone accuse me of interfering with your future.”

“Okay, I will,” Seryou agreed right away. “But let's keep Sundays for us. Okay?”

“Fine,” Yuzuru agreed, and they actually shook on it.

Once they reached the bakery, Yuzuru ordered two parfait cupcakes because it was a crime that Seryou hadn't tried one before. The mix of cake, fruit, and cream was the taste of heaven, and Yuzuru especially enjoyed the look of pleasant surprise that Seryou gave his own cupcake. You have to take these moments of happiness whenever they come.

 

_Second Term: September_

Going to cram school starting in late elementary school didn't give Yuzuru the edge he had expected, and he threw himself into bed one Saturday night only to wake up at 10:30 on Sunday morning to a groggy awareness that his alarm clock had been ringing off and on, and he had completely ignored it. Being able to snap to it was a thing of the past.

“Urgh,” he groaned as he lay on his stomach and arched his back until he could crack his spine satisfactorily. He was going to be aged by decades by the time he entered college and could be done studying for entrance exams.

He sat up morosely and contemplated the lesser of two evils. Option one: skip his shower so that he could be well-mannered and meet Seryou on time for lunch. Option two: shower and run a little late so that he wasn't sitting with his boyfriend while he was sweaty and dirty.

In the shower, Yuzuru poured a handful of shampoo and scrubbed it against his scalp, blowing bubbles away from his mouth, while he multi-tasked with a toothbrush between his lips. He didn't want people judging him by his looks, but it took a better person than him to be okay with feeling unattractive next to Seryou.

“Good morning, Yuzuru-san.”

Yuzuru self-consciously brushed his hair back and winced at the soaking wet strands that lay heavily against the nape of his neck. “Seryou, good morning. Sorry I made you wait.”

“I didn't mind. I haven't been to this cafe before, so I was happy to have more time to look at the menu. The bread bowl looks good.”

“Yeah, I got that before. The bread's a bit chewy, but the soup's delicious and helps to soften the bread.”

“I'll get that then,” Seryou decided before he folded up his menu and pushed it to the edge of the table.

Yuzuru scanned his own menu and wondered if he could get away with ordering two entrees and making the waitress look at him strangely. Screw it, he would; he was starving, and his stomach made the decisions today.

“You've been working hard,” Seryou observed, “but you're always the one telling me to be responsible, so I shouldn't be surprised.”

Yuzuru shrugged as he stirred creamer and sugar into his coffee, the small spoon tinkling against the delicate cup. “Good college, good job, right? That's what people always tell us.”

“That's true. I think I could recite that saying even when I was four.”

Yuzuru snorted with laughter, and he set down his spoon before he could fling coffee around by accident. “I knew you were the precocious kind.”

“You never said, Yuzuru-san. What is your dream university?”

What a change in topic.

“I don't really have one,” Yuzuru said after a pause. “My mom said she's going to take me around when she has a weekend off. Then I'll decide. Umm, I guess I've heard good things about Shinshu University. My cousin got a job right after graduation.”

“Shinshu University,” Seryou repeated. “I've heard of it too. Where is it exactly? Isn't it far away?”

Geography wasn't Yuzuru's strong point. “I guess,” he said, not willing to commit when he wasn't sure of himself. Crap, what a dumbass he sounded, not knowing where a notable university was located. Then again, it's not like Shinshu Universtiy was the only one out there.

“Oh,” Seryou responded.

Studying the pressed white lips across from him, Yuzuru wondered if he was scaring or boring Seryou with all the talk about colleges. He tried to find a topic of conversation that didn't lead to him sounding like he was making polite chitchat with distant but still judgmental relatives. 

The awkward silence ended when Seryou's bread bowl and Yuzuru's pasta arrived at the same time on a hot and heavy tray that nearly unbalanced on top of them.

Seryou tore off a piece from his bread bowl and dipped it into the soup. He finished chewing before he looked up and smiled. “It's good. You have good taste, Yuzuru-san.”

“I'm a trustworthy person,” Yuzuru said shamelessly, “not like Koike-chan. Did I tell you what she said yesterday—?”

 

_Winter Break:_ _December_

“Seryou!” Yuzuru called in surprise, and the familiar dark head turned to face his direction.

“Yuzuru-san!” Seryou called back happily.

Koike-chan stopped outside the tutoring center and watched them with a look of surprise. She came up beside Yuzuru and peered at Seryou, one hand warding off the overly bright streetlights. “Oh, it's you, Seryou-kun. I wasn't sure since it's so dark. What are you doing here? Are you starting classes at this tutoring center now?”

Seryou dipped his head in polite greeting. “No, I just wanted to ask Yuzuru-san a question about the archery club.”

Koike-chan knew that Yuzuru had been on Seryou's case for the past months to show more constancy towards their shared club, so she didn't think twice before she waved goodbye and got into her mother's car.

“I told you, didn't I, that I don't want you to skip out on your own things to come meet me,” Yuzuru scolded.

Seryou raised an indignant eyebrow. “I didn't skip out on anything. In fact, I was careful to complete everything quickly so that I could see you tonight.”

“Oh,” Yuzuru thought about apologizing for jumping to conclusions, but to be honest, Seryou had it coming for admitting to skipping cram school like a juvenile delinquent before. “What's so special about tonight?”

“I wanted to see you,” Seryou said simply. “I haven't seen you outside school for a long time.”

Yuzuru had nothing to say in response to that. He had canceled more dates than he had accepted lately, and even he knew the balance of a relationship was no good if only one person was making the invitations. “You're right about that. I'm sorry.”

Seryou waved his apology away. “No, I understand.” He pointed below his own eyes where natural shadows lay, combining with his cheekbones to form the elegant look that so many of their schoolmates admired. “I've been watching the circles you have here getting darker. But if you're willing to sacrifice some sleep tonight, you can make it up to me.”

Yuzuru hesitated, two equally important desires warring within him. More and more often he was making choices between spending time with Seryou and securing his future the way he had been taught. Who knew about the future though? No matter what you do to prepare for it, you just can't know it the way you can with the here and now.

“What did you want to suggest?”

Seryou smiled directly into his eyes, the usual gentle smile turning a little sly as Yuzuru held his gaze. “I want you to come over.”

Yuzuru couldn't stop the face he made on instinct, even though Seryou had once pinched his cheek and told him how cute he looked that way. “Is _she_ there?”

“Shino-chan? No, my brother took her to Hokkaido for a weekend trip. They won't be back until Monday morning.”

Yuzuru made a noise in his throat that was a muffled “good.” He was never going to stand being around her. The first impression had been bad enough, but Yuzuru wasn't the type to be unreasonably resentful of his boyfriend's ex.

His view of her could only get worse though after the day he had mustered up the courage to crawl on top of Seryou's legs and bring himself close enough to hint at making out with full-body contact. Instead of the perpetual smile he had expected as he neared, Seryou had actually grimaced and averted his face. A bucket of ice water couldn't have frozen Yuzuru more than that rejection, and a part of his mind left and hovered around in an upset even as Seryou apologetically tried to soothe him. Yuzuru's crushing embarrassment turned into molten anger after Seryou explained that the position just brought up unfortunate memories.

Seryou was still watching him intently.

“All right. How did you get here, by train?”

Seryou's smile broadened. “I rode my motorbike,” he answered just as Yuzuru started paying better attention to the thing behind him. Whoa, that gorgeous thing.

“What, you have a motorbike? Wow, you're so lucky!” Yuzuru walked around Seryou to get a better look at the blue-and-white painted machine. So cool, he marveled. It was a two-seater too, he noticed. That was unusual for a teenager.

“My father said that I would lose it if I ever rode it to school, but I've been meaning to give you a ride. If you want one.”

“Of course, I do! Come on, let's get a move on!”

Yuzuru would have enjoyed the ride more, pressed against the firm warmth of Seryou's long back, but his chin kept dipping down before he jerked himself awake and reminded himself that he could literally die if his hands didn't stay clasped around Seryou's waist.

The white-striped brown cover was pulled neatly over Seryou's bed, but Yuzuru felt no compunctions about sitting heavily on top of it, wrinkling it so heavily the white underside flipped up.

God, he was so tired. He glanced at the time on his phone before suppressing a sigh that could be misinterpreted and putting it back in his jacket pocket. It was already 8:30 PM, and he still had at least an hour's worth of homework to complete. He was in no mood to study more math, science, history, or English. Maybe he could go to bed now and wake up early enough to finish the assignments.

Seryou came back into the room with two mugs of hot milk, and Yuzuru reminded himself that he had to take another person into account before he set his schedule.

“Ah, Seryou. It's a bit late, so I was wondering if I could sleep here and then wake up early to go home before school.”

Seryou looked surprised before a clear blush swept his face. “Of-Of course, you can. I—just wait for me!” He hurried to his closet and began ransacking the small shelves inside.

“What are you doing?”

Seryou's head popped out from the closet, an embarrassed and frazzled expression framed by his mussed hair. “My linens haven't gotten washed yet this week. But I know I have an extra set somewhere.”

Yuzuru sighed. “Seryou, I'm exhausted. I'm going to pass out in ten minutes or less. If we're going to get in some making out, then forget the sheets and come here.” He crooked a finger at Seryou and repeated, “Come here.”

Seryou curled around him on the bed, arms wrapping around his waist and their heads neatly sharing the pillow. “I like holding you like this,” he whispered, warm breath heating up Yuzuru's face.

They exchanged kisses, some long and slow with a hint of wetness and some quick and light over eyebrows, noses, cheekbones, chins, and foreheads.

“It's getting late,” Seryou finally said.

“Hmm, let's sleep then,” Yuzuru mumbled, snuggling deep into the sheets with deep contentment.

 

_Third Term: Early January_

“Senpai!” multiple voice shouted out in surprise as Yuzuru came into the archery club. Seryou turned his attention from the bow he was adjusting at the cries, and he smiled at Yuzuru.

“Hush!” the supervising teacher ordered. “The first years are almost ready to take their turn. Show your respect for their preparation.”

Yuzuru took off his shoes and silently made his way to a free spot where he could sit and watch. He couldn't stay long so he hadn't bothered to change into an archery uniform. The second years sitting around here shot him quick sympathetic smiles; no doubt, they all knew why a third-year student wasn't visiting nearly as often as before.

Obnoxiously talented as always despite his less than absolute dedication to the sport, Seryou took up an elegant stance, breathed in steadily, and made one shot after another, once again hitting within the bull's eye. Yuzuru watched him intently and wondered if Seryou ever missed besides that one time during the trial week when Seryou had been so emotionally distraught he couldn't find the inner calm needed for archery.

“Good job,” Yuzuru said once Seryou found him outside after changing from the archery uniform back into the usual jacket and tie. He tossed over a can of cold sweetened tea and cracked open his own.

“It was a great practice session with you there. I was surprised to see you here though when it's so close to the exams. Are you going back to cram school later?”

“Nah, my brains have been working so hard lately that it's a miracle they're not oozing from my ears,” Yuzuru said bluntly, making an aggrieved face that Seryou regarded with a fond smile.

“Ah, then if you're ready for a break, maybe we can walk to the bridge again and have some quiet time together.”

Not inclined to do anything else that might require more energy, Yuzuru was fine with that suggestion.

Seryou pressed his thumbnail against the opening of his tea but didn't drink; he seemed preoccupied as they walked. “Yuzuru-san, last weekend, did you decide on a university?”

Yuzuru hummed. “Sort of. To be honest, a lot of those universities are really similar. Maybe I'll just wait to see which universities accept me, and then I'll decide based on which ones are closest to here.”

Seryou inhaled sharply. “You don't mind?”

“Mind what?”

Seryou's forehead furrowed, and he gave Yuzuru a disbelieving look. “You wanted to attend Shinshu University.”

“When did I say that?”

“At lunch, back in the fall.”

Yuzuru had no recollection of this. He had never thought too much about the university he wanted to attend and was grateful that his mom wasn't the education-mama type. Not like his Aunt Mariko. Poor Haruto, his cousin never got a break.

“I don't think I did. Anyway, why wouldn't I want to go to college nearby? It's not like we're going to just stop dating once I graduate. Right?”

Seryou stared at him for a moment; then he stepped closer and enveloped him into a tight hug. Then he pulled back and smiled weakly. “Well, I knew that. But I wasn't sure about you, Yuzuru-san. Sometimes, you're a little dense, you know.”

“Idiot,” Yuzuru replied fondly before he pulled Seryou close again.

 

_Examinations (First Round): Mid-January_

I am dead now.

Since most of the other examinees had left, and the proctors were chatting loudly with each other, Yuzuru plunked his head down on the table and let the wood warm against his forehead.

“Urgh,” he groaned to himself, and he stayed there, curled in on himself, until a proctor asked him if he needed help. He shook his head and didn't move.

An eraser hit him on the back of the head. He whirled around to glare at the person behind him.

Utsumi raised his hands. “Not me, I swear.”

“I know it's not you. Utsumi-kun is the kind of nice person who doesn't violently act on his friends. That would be an utterly terrible, truly awful individual.”

Koike-chan hefted another eraser from her pencil bag. “If you're not talking about Utsumi-kun, then I really don't know who you might be talking about. On the other hand, I do know a very considerate person who has been waiting for her stupid friend to get his face off the table and leave the examination hall so that we could eat.”

“Funny, I feel that all of these unknown people are very familiar to me,” Utsumi quipped, an uncharacteristically huge smile on his face. They were all feeling the last bits of adrenaline from the rush of hurrying through the exams that would determine their immediate future.

At the fast food restaurant, Yuzuru took an inelegantly large bite out of his cheeseburger and followed it with two gulps of his soda. He chewed quickly and swallowed.

Koike-chan watched and shook her head in disgust. He stuck his tongue out and smirked as she made a face at the sloppy mash of bun and meat.

“So, what did you guys think?” Utsumi asked, having the manners to chew and swallow his bite of veggie wrap before talking.

“I thought it went pretty well.” Koike-chan tugged at the bracelet she had worn that morning for good luck. “Unless I really messed up on the foreign language part, I should be just fine.”

“I don't know, I don't remember, and I don't care right now,” Yuzuru mumbled as he kept eating. Once he got back home, he was going to take a long nap. Maybe if he set the alarm on his phone, he could sleep for a bit on the train ride home too.

Utsumi laughed. “I was happy about the science section. I was really worried at first, but it does seem like a good number of the questions have answers that are self-evident if you think about the information scientifically.”

Yuzuru cracked his spine as he sat up properly in his seat. In a much better mood from the food and drink, he admitted, “Yeah, all of those long hours did pay off. I'm not happy that we have to do it again a second time, but I guess it can't be helped. Those Tokyo universities have high standards.”

Utsumi pulled out several half-melted KitKat bars from his pocket. “I'm going to be sick of these by the time we're done. You wouldn't believe the number of bags my mom bought. She insists that I fill my pockets before I leave the house.”

Koike-chan shook her head. “I thought my mom would be logical and cool about things. She keeps talking about how good luck doesn't matter and that I should do well after all those hours in cram school, but this morning, she insisted that I go back and change into this lucky cat shirt. My aunt gave this to me back in elementary school!”

“That's the way moms are,” Yuzuru agreed. “If they think there's the smallest chance it could help, they'll try it. My mom woke me up early last Saturday so that we could write wishes at a shrine.”

He got up to throw away his trash and then grew worried when he absently patted his pants pocket and couldn't feel his train pass card. He pulled his backpack out from Utsumi's leg and rummaged around for his wallet. He couldn't remember where else he might have put his train pass card. The exams had been hell on his regular memory.

“Oh, isn't that from Seryou-kun?” Utsumi asked. He pointed to the small metallic blue koi fish dangling from a zipper on Yuzuru's backpack. “What a good friend.”

“You should remember to return the favor later when it's his turn,” Koike-chan advised. She shook her head admiringly. “Especially if he's aiming for Gunma University.”

“Yeah,” Yuzuru said thoughtfully. But he had no doubt that Seryou had the grades for it. So that meant Seryou would be living in Maebashi for his college years.

 

_Spring Break: March_

Yuzuru rolled up another shirt and stuffed it into his suitcase. He surveyed the wreck that his room had become and marveled at the amount of clothes that had once been jammed into his dresser and closet.

“Yuzuru-san, where should I pack your winter jacket?” Seryou came back into the room with the heavy blue jacket bundled beneath his arm.

“There's still some room in that sports bag over there. Yeah, that one. Thanks.”

Seryou tried to pull the zipper up on the sports bag and succeeded by going very slowly and carefully, lining up both sides of the teeth.

“You got a lot done already,” Seryou observed.

“It looks that way, but I hope it doesn't explode out when I try to unpack in my dorm room. My mom made a checklist for me to make sure I didn't forget anything, but I can't find it right now.”

Yuzuru swept a few pens and crumpled up papers around on his bed. “Shit, she's going to give me grief for being so careless.”

“I can look over here while you check over there,” Seryou offered.

“Yeah,” Yuzuru sighed. Way to show his parents that he was ready to leave for college. He smoothed out a few papers and then threw them away once he saw that they weren't the missing checklist. He slid his hands underneath the dresser and made a face when all he managed to pull out were fistfuls of dust bunnies.

“Oh,” Seryou sounded surprised.

“You found it?” Yuzuru asked, shaking his hands free of dust.

“No, sorry, I was looking at this.” Seryou stood next to Yuzuru's desk where a large map of Japan had been pinned to the wall. Hand-drawn multi-colored lines spread across the paper from Yokohama to Tokyo and from Yokohama to Maebashi and from Tokyo to Maebashi.

Yuzuru came up beside Seryou. “It was giving me a headache, trying to figure out the different routes on my phone. Luckily, the bookstore had this map, at a pretty cheap price too. Anyway, I found out the quickest way to get to Maebashi from Tokyo is by train, isn't that weird? Takes about an hour and a half. That's not so bad, and it's only for two years.”

“And after that?” Seryou asked, eyes still roaming the map. He rested one finger on Maebashi.

Yuzuru shrugged. “Then I find a job. Near Maebashi would be nice, but if not, we'll still make it work.”

He traced the straightest path from Tokyo to Yokohama. He added quietly, “You've waited for me a lot this year. It'll just be my turn to wait for you then.”

Yuzuru moved his finger to Maebashi where it touched Seryou's. The spark between their fingers ran down his arm and made a home in Yuzuru's chest as their fingers intertwined.

 

_Beginning of Summer Break: Late July_

He shifted his book bag against his shoulder and leaned against the wall outside his school. He could hear his classmates calling out goodbyes to friends and the click and flash of cameras from those who would be leaving permanently. He could also hear the group that was gossiping about him only a few feet away.

“Do you think he'd say yes if I confessed to him?”

“What, Rasa-chan? I can't believe you haven't heard. Seryou-senpai already has a girlfriend.”

“He won't after this Sunday. He only dates for a week, remember?”

“Morioka-kun, you're going to be in trouble for slander. I don't think that was ever true. In fact, Seryou-senpai's a real romantic. I heard that he's faithful to his beautiful college-age girlfriend.”

“Seriously? He's dating an older woman?”

“Adachi-san, aren't you in the same class? Don't you know these things? And anyway, that sounds so rude! It's love! Call it that.”

Seryou stifled a laugh, and then his attention caught on a silver car that was steadily making its way closer to the high school. The driver came to a smooth stop next to him, and a face he had been waiting to see leaned out the window.

“Hey, Touji, sorry I'm late. I'll do better next time. I'm still not used to the traffic.”

Seryou pulled open the passenger side door and slid inside. He tossed a look behind him before greeting Yuzuru with a long-awaited kiss. “I don't mind waiting for you, Yuzuru-san. How was your first semester?”

“Not bad. It's just weird that I still have a curfew even without parents.”

“Speaking of your parents, do you have to meet them soon?”

“No, we arranged to meet for dinner, so I have a few hours free. Although—,” Yuzuru hesitated.

“What?” Seryou prompted softly.

“Listen, I don't know when we'll tell them about us, but still—you can meet them. If you want. Don't feel pressured, okay?” Yuzuru felt a bit awkward waiting for Seryou's response, but he had been compelled to make the invitation.

Touched, Seryou tilted Yuzuru's face to meet his, and their lips brushed together as Yuzuru looked into those sparkling eyes.

His boyfriend responded lovingly, “Of course, I want to meet them. After all, we're dating, aren't we?”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I read these articles and found some really useful details that helped to inform various aspects of the story so that I could do my best to portray a Japanese high school senior's life as accurately as possible. Once again, if I missed anything or got something wrong, please do let me know.
> 
> 1) https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-schools-vs-american-schools/  
> 2) http://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/daily_life_in_japanese_high_schools  
> 3) http://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/12/world/japan-s-schools-exam-ordeal-rules-each-student-s-destiny.html?pagewanted=all  
> 4) http://factsanddetails.com/japan/cat23/sub150/item1790.html


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